The Blood Diamond
by full moon alpha
Summary: Steven Universe, the Gem-Human hybrid of Beach City, meets someone who shares something in common with him, as well has a few stark differences. How will the Crystal Gems, Beach City, and Steven deal with someone who is essentially a Gem Hybrid Super Soldier. There will be conflict, laughs, and gunfire. Rated M for safety, or rather the safety not being used.
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1. Not the only one

Beach City was a fairly quiet place, so long as you ignored the various hijinks that the Crystal Gems got up to. In their temple, the four main gems relaxed and enjoyed an easy day. Pearl was busy playing her violin, with even Amethyst able to appreciate its tune. Garnet was reading, though what was anyone's guess. Amethyst was snacking away, though it was up for debate whether what she was eating was meant for consumption. And finally Steven, the young Gem hybrid, was watching Pearl play. He enjoyed the music while she enjoyed the attention. In all it seemed like a fairly casual day, until Garnet's head snapped up.

"Oh no." she said, her attention moving towards the door. Every Gem shifted into combat mode, drawing their weapons and preparing for whatever Garnet had detected. Thank you future sight.

The four went outside and leapt to the beach, only to look at Garnet again when her expression became one of slight confusion. The fusion was normally very hard to read, made even more difficult by her large shades, but whatever happened had been major enough for even her impassive façade to crumble. Steven was about to ask what was wrong when everyone's ears picked up the sounds of fighting from the cliff above. Looking up they had just enough time to spot a body falling towards them.

The figure impacted the sand hard, but fortunately there wasn't enough dust kicked up to obscure the figure from view. It was a quartz soldier, but one that was fairly injured. Her eyes opened slightly, just enough to make a pained grimace. The Crystal Gems, so focused on the quartz in front of them, didn't notice that her eyes widened as she spotted an incoming threat. But they did see the black clad figure landing hard into the quartz's stomach, driving his boots into her with ungodly force. The soldier poofed out of existence, her gem landing in the sand. This new figure rose, and shifted its attention to them.

Even Garnet felt a bit intimidated by the calculating stare she felt directed her way. The figure's face was concealed by a black helmet, four red scope-like lenses decorated the front of it, two where eyes should rightly be and two more over the cheekbone area. Where the mouth should be was some kind of breathing apparatus, a number of small holes allowing for ventilation. In all the helmet had an insectoid look to it, which only made it more disturbing with the rest of the equipment.

A simplistic, yet tactical, plate armor protected the figure's torso. Various pouches and ammunition pockets dotted the waistline and underarms. The rest of the attire was a simple black body suit complete with boots and gloves. In his hands was an assault rifle, but the Gems couldn't identify it beyond that, and under his left armpit was a holstered handgun.

A number of other quartz soldiers, almost dozen strong, landing around him cut the examination short, but the same could be said about the soldiers themselves. Tossing his rifle up he reached behind him and drew a kukri blade, which promptly had its blade buried hilt deep in the gut of the nearest quartz. In a blinding display of grapples mixed with knife fighting the quartz soldiers were poofed in a matter of moments, the last one disappearing in time for the figure to catch his falling rifle.

The Crystal Gems were suitably worried, as anyone capable of doing that so easily was not someone to take lightly.

This figure, who slung his rifle over his shoulder, had fixed his attention onto Steven. The young hybrid gulped as he felt the weight of this being's gaze. The other Crystal Gems, seeing this, moved to serve as interceptors should Steven come under attack. But then, in a voice that was made quite threatening by the depth as well as the muffling from the helmet, the figure spoke.

"Are you Steven Universe?"

"Why do you want to know?" Amethyst demanded.

"Relax Gem, If I wanted him dead I would have simply sniped him earlier." The figure said, a chill gripping each of the Crystal Gems as they realized that it would be best not to annoy someone who might be able to seriously harm them from a distance.

"Yeah, I'm Steven. Why are you here?" Steven asked, getting right to the point.

"You're a Gem Hybrid right, son of the Gem known as Rose Quartz?" The figure continued to ask, ignoring the question directed towards him.

"Yes, now what are you here for?" Pearl demanded, her spear leveled at the figure.

He didn't move for a moment, silently regarding the four in front of him. Then he reached up, his fingers unlocking some kind of clasp, and pulled the helmet from his head. The face beneath was fairly regular with areas of dark facial hair. His eyes were simple brown but rested above dark under eye bags. His hair was short to the point of near baldness. With the helmet tucked under his left arm he began to unfasten the armor plates on his chest and undo the jacket collar beneath. The Gems watched in confusion, but Pearl, being the quickest of the group, was the first to spot a gleam on the figure's chest. The rest were quietly shocked when they saw, embedded in this figure's chest, a blood red diamond shaped gem.

"My name is Mike. I'm the son of Red Diamond."

Author's note

So, this is my little fanfiction of Steven Universe. At this point the story has not revealed the plot twist of Season 5, so if you have watched the show up until now you know what I'm talking about.

The next chapter will focus more on the Crystal Gems learning about this new comer as well as the clashing cultures of the two hybrids.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2. The Lore of Blood Diamond

The Crystal Gems were understandably shocked. Having taken this conversation inside after bubbling the quartz soldiers the group of five had convened to talk. The Crystal Gems were seated on the couch with Mike on a stool on the opposite side of the table. His guns and knives were on the table itself while his armor rested nearby. Pearl was looking at Mike in a calculating manner, similar to Garnet but for a different reason. Pearl didn't like the fact that Red Diamond had been on earth when Rose was still around, while Garnet didn't like the fact that Mike was somehow able to block her future sight. Try as she might she could not see either Mike or his future. Amethyst was simply eating, not really having much else to do. And Steven was looking at Mike with some excitement, having never expected to meet another hybrid.

As for Mike, he simply observed them. He was remaining ready for if the Crystal Gems became hostile. His guns were just out of his reach and unloaded, but he was more than deadly with his bare hands. He knew that they were waiting for something, but he didn't know what. There came the sounds of muffled conversation from outside, followed by a knock on the door. Amethyst went to answer it, finding Lapis, Peridot, and Connie accompanied by a man in a dress shirt and slacks.

"Ah, Blood Diamond. I see you found them alright." The man said, getting a brief glance in reply.

"So, this is the other hybrid?" Peridot asked, the small Gem looking Mike over.

"Yes he is. Excuse me sir…" Pearl said, catching the attention of the unknown man.

"Smith, Nicholas Smith. Just call me Nick though." Nick said, a small smile on his face.

"Ok, Nick. What did you call Mike just now?" Pearl asked.

"Oh, Mike's call sign is Blood Diamond. It's what we call him when we need him for an official mission." Nick explained.

"Missions. Are you some kind of Secret Agent or something?" Steven asked, stars in his eyes.

"In a manner. I'm a bounty hunter, mercenary, assassin, spy, or whatever else the clients need me to be." Mike explained. Steven was still in awe of Mike being so cool, but the rest of the Gems and Connie did catch the 'assassin' part.

"Hey Mike, a call came in for you. Why don't you take it and I'll chat with the Gems here." Nick said, handing Mike a phone.

Mike shrugged heading out to speak with whoever wanted to talk to him.

"So…" Nick began as Mike left. "I take it that Mike told you about him being a hybrid like young Steven here?"

"Yes he did, which begs an important question. How did another hybrid come about without any of us knowing?" Pearl asked.

"More importantly, how did Rose not know about him?" Garnet continued.

"And where has he been all this time?" Garnet finished.

"Oh Oh, can you tell it in song?" Steven asked excitedly, causing his Gem family to roll their eyes in amusement.

"In song, no." Nick answered, making Steven's face droop in slight disappointment. "But I can tell it in epic story style." There was the beaming grin on the young hybrid's face.

"I don't think that's necess…" Pearl began, but was cut off by Steven.

"Oh please oh please oh please Pearl?" Steven begged, eager to learn about the other hybrid.

"Very well Steven." Pearl sighed out.

"Alright Steven, are you ready to hear about the man who has come to be known as The Blood Diamond?" Nick said, enjoying how Steven and even Amethyst seemed interested. "Alright then. Years ago in a remote mountain village there was a legend of a man who would be born from a god and vanquish any who would threaten his people. That man, was not Mike. Because Mike killed that man for target practice. Mike was born from the union of Red Diamond, who herself had fled from the Homeworld Gems after becoming dissatisfied with the current leadership, and a mercenary named Alexander. This man had a number of traits that caught Red Diamond's interest, including a great intellect, ferocity, and warrior mentality. When the two had their child Red Diamond, like Rose Quartz, gave up her physical form to bring the child into existence. Unfortunately his father would soon perish as well to an aggressive cancer. However, he did have a few friends who he appointed as Mike's new guardians." Nick began.

"So he didn't have either parent growing up." Connie said, feeling a bit saddened.

"Nope, and the environment that he was raised in could be considered very much illegal. He was raised by the other mercenaries of Alexander's group, which included Thomas Cain a former Green Beret of the United States Army, Frank Rodriguez a former Navy Seal, Richard Mitz the retired Marine Corps Scout Sniper, and Elizabeth Sanchez a then recently discharged Army Ranger. Alexander's last request to his team was to train his son to be able to protect himself, a request that they took well to heart. By the time he was a year old he was expected to be able to walk steadily, speak coherently, and function fairly autonomously. By two he began his training, starting with physical conditioning and early martial arts study. By five he was being trained in marksmanship and knife fighting, all while continuing his study of martial arts and being homeschooled."

"Why was he being homeschooled?" Connie asked.

"Because when he was three the group tried to enroll him in preschool, there was an incident. A group of other boys attempted to bully Mike, and were subsequently hospitalized. The teacher had tried to intervene and almost had her arm torn off. You see, Mike was starting to show a vast increase in his strength. And when that strength was paired off with years of martial arts training, it was a small wonder why he almost killed people as a toddler." Nick said, both horrifying and intriguing the group. "The next fifteen years were spent honing his skills and knowledge until he was old enough to join the military and enlist into the United States Army. It didn't end well. You see Mike had been groomed to be an ideal soldier, which is something that the army's training program was not equipped to handle. Just as before he almost killed an instructor and was subsequently kicked out of the military. But this was something that his guardians had fully anticipated, and they went on to formally induct him into their mercenary group. During his upbringing they had participated in contracts a bit less than before so as to be able to raise him, now they could bring him into the fold. His initial assessments made clear that he was more than ready and when he went on his first job, a simple assault of a well-fortified terrorist stronghold, he managed to perform above all expectations. The best part though, came a few jobs later when he met the Drill Sergeant he had beaten up during his brief stint in the military. The Drill Sergeant was understandably furious when he found out that the young punk who had humiliated him was now calling the shots, getting paid more, and gaining recognition as a top tier warfighter."

"So he was like a super soldier." Steven said.

"That's actually fairly accurate. The hybridization of human and Gem caused some interesting mutations to occur. Mike is stronger, faster, and tougher than any human, while at the same time he can recover from injury better than any Gem." Nick explained.

"How do you mean?" Pearl asked, glancing over at Amethyst as the squat Gem munched on a bag of chips.

"Something happened with Mike's gem, something that didn't occur until after he was born. His gem somehow gained some organic traits despite being non-organic. As such it can function much like any of his other organs, namely in repairing itself when damaged." Nick said, causing even Garnet's eyes, hidden as they were, to widen.

"Wait a minute. He can heal…from being cracked?" Amethyst asked, recalling her own experience of having her gem damaged.

"Over time, yes. His hybrid status gives him advantages that cover the weaknesses of each respective species. His human fragility is negated by the natural physical supremacy of a Gem, while his organic composition, and the effect that it had on his gem, means that the gem in his chest does not offer as glaring a weakness as it would for a full Gem." Nick said. He could see the gears turning in the heads of each of the ones gathered. Lapis had remained largely silent, but that had more to do with that she was not too interested in the situation. Nick was surprised that Peridot hadn't asked any questions, as the reports made it clear that she was a very inquisitive Gem. But perhaps she was merely taking in as much information as possible and compiling a list of inquiries to ask at once.

"So what happened after the stronghold?" Steven asked, causing Nick to smile. The young man had an infectious joy to him, and was so easy to entertain.

"Well, after that mission Mike performed other such operations all over the world. He would occasionally encounter Corrupted Gems but never really knew what they were until he learned of you Crystal Gems. Once he discovered you, your history, and the true nature of the Corrupted Gems he threw himself into a full on investigation. He quickly became an expert on dispatching them and learned a number of abilities to assist him. Despite not having any proper training he became skilled in bubbling defeated Gems, as well as using his own gem to store equipment. Though in all fairness he was more excited about using his gem to store massive amounts of ammo and a full arsenal of weapons. Eventually he decided to come find you all, and so brings us to today."

"So he why is he here?" Amethyst asked.

"When he heard about a young boy with a gemstone in his belly he realized that he wasn't the only hybrid. Mike is here, because he's curious." Nick explained.

"He wanted to meet me?" Steven asked excitedly.

"Yep." Nick replied simply.

"Tell me something." Peridot said, seemingly ready to speak now. "Would he object to an examination? I am curious about hybrids and based on what I've heard this Mike would be less bothered by it than Steven would."

"You'd have to ask him that. But he's never had any issue with being examined before so I don't think he'll mind this time." Nick said.

The door opened at that moment, revealing Mike returning from his call.

"All good?" Nick asked simply, catching the phone as Mike tossed it to him.

"Yeah. I'm cleared for my vacation here. I intend to simply relax the next few weeks away." Mike said, stretching his arms up.

 **Author's note**

 **Visitor DMCTheDarkAngelo requested a crossover story featuring young Steven Universe being abducted by Mundus.** **DMCTheDarkAngelo, if you are reading this then know that I am working on how to present this story in a way that is gripping and interesting.**


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3. Mike + Serious = Terrifying

The Crystal Gems were no strangers to violence, but what Mike did on an excursion to eliminate some Corrupted Gems was simply brutal. Mike seemed more inclined to use a paired set of kukri knives to fight but the way he fought was an odd, demented parody of the styles used by the Crystal Gems. He was prone to finding humor in his fights, like Amethyst, graceful in his movements, like Pearl, and efficient when executing his attacks, like Garnet. Where the problems came was when he dealt with his enemies, he incapacitated them cleanly but in such a way that made them suffer. He disabled a roughly humanoid gem with an outward cross-slash that took off its legs, then took its arms by flipping the blades in his grip and bringing both up.

Whenever he dispatched a foe he seemed to take some pleasure in it. But while the Crystal Gems were appalled by his conduct, they couldn't deny his skill. Every move seemed to lead into the next, every evasion placed him where he needed to be to launch a devastating counter. One time he slashed off the forelimb of a rearing Corrupted Quartz, causing it to topple to the ground, then used it as a stool to jump up and seize a small, birdlike gem creature. This creature was then used to impale the head of the Corrupted Quartz, killing the flyer by way of blunt force.

The Gems were glad that they had left Steven at home for this mission. Mike's fighting was brutal and vicious, and he seemed to revel in the fact. He never hesitated to bring down a target, but Garnet did step in once Mike made a move to shatter a fallen gem.

"That's enough. We don't shatter the fallen." Garnet said, her grip tight on Mike's wrist. She recoiled when his gaze turned towards her. His eyes were still a simple brown, but there was a predatory edge to them. His eyes did disturbed Garnet, but as she watched his eyes shift back to their normal apathy. He stepped aside and allowed the Crystal Gems to help bubble the various poofed gems.

But everyone stopped moving when they started hearing a strange groaning sound, Mike had heard it before and frowned as he turned. The Crystal Gems could make out a shape approaching, it was vaguely humanoid but seemed to have a bizarre configuration of limbs. When it got close enough the finer details became clearer, namely that it seemed to have a leg where an arm should be, an arm where a leg should have been, and a large hand where the head was supposed to rest. In the center of its chest sat a jagged mass of off colored gem shards.

"What…What is that?" Pearl asked in a shaky voice.

"Basically a clump of random gem shards." Mike said casually, striding towards the lumbering form.

"What happened to them?" Amethyst asked, her whip handle almost tumbling from her shaking hand.

"Don't know. But look at it, it's a miserable abomination." Mike said, pulling a shotgun from his gem.

"What can we do for it?" Garnet asked, her voice steady despite Ruby and Sapphire both being disturbed by this creature.

"Put it out of its misery." Mike said, charging forward.

The gem hybrid slid under a swinging leg and leveled the shotgun at a hip joint. A loud boom sounded and a leg was nearly severed. A swing took out the arm that served as a leg. By now the creature attempted to bat Mike aside but missed as the young man jumped backwards. As he landed Amethyst's whip coiled around his shotgun arm.

"WHAT ARE YOU DOING? WE NEED TO HELP IT." The round gem shouted, pulling at Mike.

Mike regarded her for a moment, clearly looking down on her. He sighed in annoyance and cut the whip's tendrils with his blade. The shotgun was stowed and replaced with a rifle, which was aimed and fired faster than the Crystal Gems could react. The round didn't shatter the gem shard mass, but instead hit a few inches above. Wounding the creature enough to poof it but not destroying it.

Garnet was furious with Mike. He disregarded the Corrupted Gems and clearly only showed mercy to appease her and her team. Pearl and Amethyst were also angry with him, but both of them considered the dangers associated with Steven having continued interaction with Mike. As for Mike himself, he could see that his methods were vastly different than those employed by the Crystal Gems and their ilk. It would be prudent to modify his approach while with them.

"Apologies, I suppose my normal means of fighting and dealing with fallen gems is disagreeable to you." Mike said with a small smirk.

"That is an understatement. The fact that you would shatter a Gem, even a corrupted one, is concerning. By all accounts we should just leave you here, and keep Steven away from you." Garnet said, her voice level despite her clear anger.

"Shatter the Warp Pad and you cripple your own mobility, thus making any incidents in this part of the world that much harder. Try to leave me here and I'll still be able to return to civilization, since any nearby city will have vehicles that I can easily hijack. And as for Steven, his father could easily tell you about how teenagers can start to become rebellious and argumentative. He's intrigued by me and what I offer, so with your permission or without he's bound to seek me out." Mike had been approaching throughout his little situational breakdown, until he stood directly in front of Garnet. "I wonder, are you so worried that your little Steven will wind up like big bad me?" As hidden as her eyes were Mike knew that he just hit the nail on the head. "Don't be, he's a good kid and it took over a decade of some real fucked up shit to make me like this. I'll censor myself around him, so don't you worry. But don't ever presume to threaten or try to coerce me."

"We are simply trying to do what we think is right." Pearl said, drawing Mike's gaze to her and breaking the stare down between him and Garnet.

Whatever Mike might have said in response was cut short when a brash, somewhat croaky voice called out. It was one that the Crystal Gems were somewhat familiar with. "You!"

Mike looked back with disinterest, he had recognized the voice as well and was working on pushing her buttons.

Jasper, with her stripes, wild mane of hair, and bared teeth, looked the part of an aggravated jungle cat. The Crystal Gems were wary, since this was a premier Quartz Soldier, but Mike seemed to regard Jasper as a minor threat.

"What do you want defect?" Mike said casually, going straight for the root of Jasper's insecurities.

"The only defect here is the purple runt." Jasper defended, her hackles raising.

"I know, but that word sure does seem to gnaw at you. And that is more than enough for me." Mike responded, enjoying the rise he was getting out of the larger Quartz.

A loud chiming sound came from the Warp Pad, as Steven and Peridot both arrived to face this foe.

"Steven!" Pearl cried out. "What are you doing here?"

"Lapis was visiting the moon base and using the viewing orb, when she saw Jasper in the area she called us. We're here to help." Steven said, Garnet gritted her teeth in frustration.

"Steven." Mike's voice rang out in a calming way. "You and the Crystal Gems stay out of this. Jasper is mine to deal with."

"But you can't simply…" Amethyst's statement was cut off when Mike finally revealed his weapon.

Drawn from his Gem was a sword and sheath. Pearl recognized it as a katana, but couldn't help but admire the beauty of it. The sheath was a crimson red and polished to a mirror like finish, there was no wrap on the handle so it seemed to meld seamlessly with the sheath. It was a clearly deadly weapon, and it hadn't even been drawn yet. When Mike gripped the hilt and began to pull, the blade emerged with utter silence, its darker, blood red blade, caught the light in such a way that accentuated its lethality.

Jasper summoned her helmet and charged, intent on mowing Mike down in one hit. But when she got close enough she felt all of her forward momentum suddenly shift, perceiving a somewhat upward angle added to her motion. She landed hard, feeling the wind on her face. The halves of her helmet landed on either side of her, split cleanly down the middle. When Jasper looked back, fury etched in every crease of her face, she and all of the Gems surrounding her saw something chilling.

Mike was looking down at Jasper, but his eyes had shifted drastically. Where once had been cold brown now glowed crimson red. The rhomboid pupils fixed unblinkingly at Jasper, looking down on her as he would a cockroach near his boot. Jasper could only stare at the eyes, could only hear her now rapid breathing. The eyes were all she could see now, and they seemed to be expanding to consume her field of vision.

A passing mote of dust broke the effect, snapping Jasper out of whatever trance she had been in. The eyes had been getting bigger, because Mike had begun striding towards her. He had already crossed most of the distance between them and come close enough for Jasper to strike. Her right arm reared, intent on launching towards the glowing red eyes. But her punch was interrupted.

Mike, holding his sheath like a curved cane, had jabbed it forward and into Jasper's right shoulder. The turn of her torso needed to power the punch was halted, and the hand flailed forward impotently. Mike wasn't strong enough to fight Jasper straight on, but he was strong enough to impede her if he did so correctly. Her left attempted to reach up and grab his face, but again Mike interrupted it. Swinging the sheath around and up, smacking into Jasper's wrist and sending her hand too high and opening her for a counter. The razor sharp blade of Mike's katana lashed forward and carved a deep gash in Jasper from just under her left armpit, across her chest, and into the front of her throat. In a final sword stroke Mike reversed his swing and beheaded Jasper. In one last motion Mike brought his hands together, neatly sheathing his sword.

All of this happened in the space of less than five seconds, a devastating show of lethal efficiency and brutal methodology. All of the Crystal Gems recoiled as Mike's glowing red eyes landed on them, seeing no emotion, pity, or humanity in their rhomboid pupils. Perhaps the worst thing was the face that those eyes were set in. it was set in an oddly blank yet decidedly hostile expression. Mike closed his eyes and breathed deeply, his face relaxing. When he opened them again they had returned to their normal brown, but this did not help in calming those who had just witnessed Mike fully unmasked.

Mike didn't mind the stares, he was used to them from any who had seen him fully in action, and bubbled Jasper's now dormant gem. He kept his sword out, since he was now, as he always did, enjoying the feeling of the deadly weapon in his hand.

Steven accepted the crimson bubble of energy from the older hybrid, eyes still locked on Mike. Pearl and Garnet were tensed, on edge at the memory of a Diamond's eyes, while Amethyst, Lapis, and Peridot were all a touch disturbed. The sheer hostility that those red eyes conveyed was different than the irritation of Yellow Diamond, but were still those of an aggressive Diamond.

Pearl and Garnet shared a look and an understanding. Mike, for all that he could do and all he could teach Steven about using Gem powers as a hybrid he was still a very dangerous influence to have around Steven. An influence that they would be closely monitoring and ending the moment they deemed it necessary.

 **Author's note**

 **Alright, so we get to see Mike in action. As is normal when I make characters with powers, I will be expanding upon them as needed. It would be boring if I simply listed his powers right off the bat, not to mention that this method allows for the characters and audience to wonder about the extent and creativity associated with the abilities. As a note, Mike used psychological warfare to infuriate Jasper and force her into a more erratic state. While she could have been more dangerous that way Mike's actions to dispatch her were done with the speed to prevent her from being able to become unpredictable in her rage or calming and recollecting.**


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4. You Haven't Seen Harsh Yet

 **Author's Note 1**

 **A more detailed note will be at the end of the chapter discussing some of the content in this chapter and a greater explanation as to why Mike seems a bit over powered. Oh, and a new character is about to make her appearance.**

Mike was sparring with Stevonnie in the Arena, and the fusion was having trouble. Stevonnie was able to combine the individual skills of Steven and Connie quite well, but it wasn't enough. Stevonnie was able to effectively use both sword and shield with ease, which obviously granted them greater offensive and defensive viability, but Mike was a tricky opponent.

Mike was an evasion and offensive specialist, but that was just the first problem Stevonnie faced here. Mike was able to swap out his weapons at a moment's notice and was never one to use an ineffective weapon for long. So far Stevonnie had contended with Mike using a pure Katana style, faring well enough against it to actually graze Mike's arm, but then he started bringing out other weapons. A single Katana was suddenly joined by a Wakizashi blade in his offhand, before being swapped out with a pistol, then a shotgun, before facing off with some kind of machine gun weapon.

Through it all Stevonnie was able to endure, the shield always between them and the bullets. But through it all Mike was never frustrated, if anything he seemed amused and excited about his foe. In the stands the rest of the gems were gathered, save for Lapis who was out doing her own thing, and each were concerned for Stevonnie's safety. Pearl was wringing her hands in nervousness, the same nervousness that was causing Amethyst to tap her foot, at the sheer ferocity Mike was displaying. Peridot was noting how Mike's aggression was very animalistic, lacking the controlled lethality of when he dispatched Jasper. Garnet's arms were crossed, but one could spot how her fists were clenched in concern. Occasionally the corners of her mouth would tighten when Mike got a hit in, such as when Stevonnie blocked a downward sword swing only to get kicked in the ribs.

Mike then did something that was decidedly odd. He swung his sword, carving a gash in the floor before dropping down and reaching for his Gem. A brief glow revealed a handle looking device that was then placed in a belt pouch. He then resumed an offensive frenzy, but everyone noticed something off. Mike was slower, and when Stevonnie started to make offensive returns Mike backpedaled. Stevonnie was pressing Mike further back by the minute, even getting the odd hit in, but they were being led into a trap. Suddenly, after letting himself be bashed by a shield strike, Mike swung low, as if to take Stevonnie's legs off at the knees, but was blocked by the sword. The new position put the shield in a reared back position, just as Mike wanted.

He leapt up, flipping once before driving his feet into the awkwardly held defense. Stevonnie was not prepared for this maneuver and was sent stumbling forward. But they regained their composure and retaliated, their sword swing being blocked by Mike's own blade and sending him away. Mike landed hard, but as he rolled onto his back he smiled at Stevonnie. He pulled the device from earlier and simply said two words.

"Got You."

Stevonnie was utterly confused, but followed Mike's gaze to the line he had slashed into the floor earlier. Mike flipped a button cover up, revealing the device to be a remote detonator. Stevonnie quickly realized this, but their attention was immediately caught by a rapid beeping sound from right behind them. They looked, and saw a small cylindrical device with a flashing red light sitting just behind them. They just barely got the shield between them and the grenade before Mike depressed the button. Fortunately it was simply a dialed down remote concussion bomb, so Stevonnie was not in any significant danger. Even normal humans would be able to take a blast from it and survive. But not dying and not being sent flying were two very different things. Stevonnie, even with the shield, was winded and disoriented.

Mike looked at the gathered Gems, noting how they were glaring at him.

"That was a dirty move!" Amethyst growled.

Mike ignored her, opting to help Stevonnie to their feet. Their head was still ringing and eventually they separated. Mike looked at the two of them and dropped to a knee to better evaluate them. It was a low power explosive but such things always had a degree of unpredictability.

"You knew what we would do?" Connie asked, the ringing in her head already clearing.

"Not fully, I had a general plan but had to construct its finer details throughout the fight." Mike explained, satisfied that the two were not in any danger. Even if they were Steven's healing powers would be able to fix whatever damage was done.

"I don't approve of your methods, but I cannot deny their effectiveness." Garnet said, having joined the trio. "Though I am curious, where did you learn to fight like that?"

"I was raised by a group of mercenaries, all of whom were members of the most elite warfighting organizations in the American military. I learned under them, and when we travelled and they needed me to be watched over they dropped me off at various dojos and training grounds to learn."

"What all did you learn?" Pearl asked. She was familiar with sword fencing and the use of a spear, but Mike's Katana, and the fighting styles that went with it, were a bit more of a mystery.

"From my caretakers I learned to use various firearms, pistols, shotguns, rifles, the M249…" Mike said, pulling the machine gun from his gem. It was present for only a few seconds before being stowed again. "In my travels I learned Kenjutsu, Bojutsu, Sojutsu, Jujutsu and Tessenjutsu in Japan, or swordsmanship, bo staff fighting, spear fighting, hand to hand combat, and battle fan use."

"Battle fans?" Steven asked with a smirk, which vanished when Mike pulled out said weapons. They were clearly made of steel, and could be passed off as regular hand fan if not for the curved blades along the top edge. They each had a different image, one having the image of a serene, bright red serpentine dragon while the other had a dark red snarling wolf.

"While floating around those parts of the world I picked up other styles as well. I picked up Taekwondo and Hapkido in Korea, Muay Thai in Thailand, and Wushu in China. I may not be a master of any of them, but I do have proficiency." Mike said.

Amethyst was lost, having never heard of most of those styles and what few she had heard of were in kung fu movies. Pearl and Garnet were a bit intrigued, but Connie and Steven were fascinated.

"Connie!" A woman's voice called out. Everyone turned to look, catching sight of Doctor Priyanka Maheswaran and Peridot. It seems that Peridot brought Priyanka on the warp pad, and that the good Doctor was still reeling from the effects of using it. When Peridot caught sight of Mike she frowned, the display against Jasper had left an impact on her.

"The other hybrid, I presume that you and Steven were sparring." It wasn't a question, it didn't have to be from Peridot in some instances.

Priyanka's eyes widened, she had heard about another human-Gem hybrid but hadn't had the chance to meet Mike yet. She had encountered soldiers before, but she had never seen such harsh eyes in the face of someone so young. But then her doctor training hit her full force when she noticed the cut on Mike's arm.

Bringing him over to the stands she sat him down and had him lift his shirt over his right shoulder, required since Mike was wearing a long sleeve shirt, and began to examine the wound. But a number of other things stood out to her as well. The cut on his arm wasn't too deep, but there were a number of other things that she observed as she bound the cut. The most obvious being that Mike's torso had some bandages on it, less obvious were the other scars she spotted.

Steven offered his healing ability but neither Priyanka nor Mike felt at ease having Steven spit on a wound, healing powers or not. After returning to the house Priyanka and Peridot, who figured that this was as good a time as any, took a look at whatever wound Mike had on his torso. When they unbound him they saw a crudely stitched slash extending from his belly to his collarbone. It was still clearly healing and less than a week old, only a few moderately sized scabs here and there and the rest was still oozing. Priyanka was shocked, especially when she noticed the haphazard nature of the stitching she realized that Mike had done the stitching himself. A faint smell of alcohol also confirmed that he had essentially doused his wound in antiseptic solution.

She shuddered at the thought of how much that had to hurt.

Peridot was more interested in the Red, rhombus shaped gem in the middle of Mike's chest. It was undamaged but Peridot was concerned about how close some of the scars were to it. She had begun to learn about various injuries that a human might receive in life and could, even with her limited knowledge of them, recognize bullet wounds.

Steven, Connie, and the rest of the Gems were shocked. Garnet suppressed a tremor at the thought of Steven receiving such a wound, Pearl was worried about potential infection, a concern Priyanka shared, and Amethyst was once again grateful that she didn't have a flesh and blood body.

A knock on the door jarred everyone back into their senses, with Priyanka examining the wound, the Gems turning to look at the door, and Steven himself going to answer it. Mike was more focused on Priyanka's prodding than the door, but even so he heard Steven gasp. Mike glanced up to see the newest arrival and was greeted with a somewhat unwelcomed sight.

Each Diamond had a Pearl to serve them, and the Pearl's color matched that of their Diamond. Where the differences really arose was in the experiences that shaped those Pearls. In this case, it made the Pearl in question a somewhat crabby individual. Which was especially funny considering her color scheme.

"Mike, care to explain why your chest has a massive new opening in it?" Red Pearl asked with a scowl. Her skin was a sunburnt red, with darker red in her hair, her outfit was a sleeveless orange shirt with black baggy capris pants and full foot sandals.

"No. How did you find me?" Mike asked. Red Pearl had found Mike and his caretakers when Mike was about ten. She and Red Diamond had parted ways, allowing each to pursue their own desires. Red Pearl had developed a dry, sarcastic personality that, oddly enough, meshed well with and butted heads with Mike's own.

"first, Liz told me where you were. And secondly…" Red Pearl answered, mouth pursing. She ran forward and launched a kick at Mike's face, which he caught. "What do you mean 'no'? You disappear for weeks with no contact to me, make me have to ask one of those drunkards where you were, and when I get here I find you looking like your guts are about to spill out. So I think I have a right to know what the hell you've been up to!" Red Pearl snarled.

Pearl was stunned, she had never seen a Pearl behave so violently. But she was able to see that, in Red Pearl's own vicious way, it was out of concern for the young hybrid. Amethyst thought that this new Pearl was much more fun than hers. Everyone else was a bit annoyed by how Red Pearl was treating her injured Diamond. Mike just didn't care.

Shoving her foot aside Mike addressed everyone, while occasionally wincing when Priyanka poked a particularly sensitive spot, and introduced Red Pearl.

"You all know that my main caretakers were my father's old group, but Red here showed up after a while. Surprised everyone then to be sure, but when the everyone got the story straightened out she joined in. She's been a pain in my ass ever since." Mike summarized quickly, Priyanka having finished her check on the wound. It wasn't pretty, and it was a far cry from what she would have done, but it would hold until he healed.

"I'm a pain in the ass? I'm the one who has to make sure that your dumbass doesn't do something stupid and get yourself killed." Red Pearl defended. Pearl was a bit undecided about this new mirror of herself. It was nice to see a Pearl be so outgoing and boisterous but the sheer anger here was a bit concerning.

Mike was about to rise when Steven intervened.

"Stop this! You two are friends right?" The young hybrid asked.

"No!" Mike and Red Pearl said in unison.

"Well…Can't you at least act like it?" Steven asked hopefully.

"Hell no!" Once again came the response in stereo.

"Alright enough." Garnet spoke up, having had enough. "You two…" She said, looking at the red pair. "No fighting in this house. Period. Am I understood?"

Red Pearl and Mike looked at one another for a moment. "Fine." They both said.

With that situation diffused Mike turned to Steven and began to address him directly.

"So, Steven. I've always found that a review of a sparring match is often the best way to improve from it. Connie, care to join in?" The two were happy to discuss the fight, eager to talk about what had happened.

Priyanka and the Gems all gathered in the kitchen to let the trio have at it. Red Pearl and Pearl spoke, eventually swapping stories about their respective charges. Garnet, Peridot, and Priyanka talked about the day so far, though Priyanka was more inquiring so as to make sure that Connie was safe. Amethyst began to eat, deciding to simply do her own thing.

The household was getting more crowded, but that was also making it more fun.

 **Author's Note 2.**

 **So this will be divided into a few key points to discuss the content thus far, and where I intend to carry the story from here.**

 **I know that Mike seems too overpowered but there is a reason for it. We've gotten to hear about how Steven was able to cure a corrupted gem further than Rose ever could. I take this as to mean that not only does Steven have Rose's unique powers but his hybrid status somehow has amplified them. It might not be exactly how that works but I thought that if Steven's healing powers are stronger/just different from Rose's then the idea of a child of a Diamond, and yes I know Rose's secret, who has been fully aware of it for their entire life would not only be powerful but obscenely powerful. So, JustinTheSpider, if you're reading this this is to you. Mike hasn't gone close to full diamond mode.**

 **As a side note to 1, Mike has lived through over 20 years of harsh training. Him being able to fight Stevonnie with that degree of skill wouldn't be outside of his realm of abilities. He's trained with a variety of weapons, both modern and melee, and trained extensively in martial arts. His time in Japan was important for him but less for the story.**

 **When I put these OCs in a story the goal remains to keep the canon story characters as close to their original personalities as possible. That's because the OC isn't meant to be the protagonist, typically, but is instead a darker reflection of the other characters. Steven is a paragon character, (Does good for the sake of good. Inspires others to be better.) while Mike is most certainly not. Mike is a jaded man whose faced a lifetime of harsh upbringing from people who know exactly how to be harsh in their treatment of other, while Steven was raised by loving individuals who wanted him happy and safe above all else. Steven doesn't want to cause harm unnecessarily, Mike will shoot your kneecap just because his gun had an odd number of bullets and he doesn't like odd numbers.**

 **As was stated in the notes, Mike was aware of his nature from youth. And when Red Pearl got involved his training began to include and incorporate Gem powers to make an already dangerous person utterly deadly. Mike's dealt with Gem training since he was a child, so Steven and Stevonnie were not in any shape to pose much of a challenge. And yes the bomb stunt can be considered cheating, but in a fight there are no cheaters or referees. There are winners and the deceased.**

 **And finally, I am planning on continuing this story's continuity but I want to include Mike in some adaptations of other fanfictions as well. "A New Cut of Diamond" and "Faded Blue" for the 'Steven as the son of Blue Diamond' ideas. The youtube comics "White Diamond Steven" with Mike as the godfather of Steven. And perhaps an AU with Steven as the son of Yellow Diamond. But tell me what you think, I would like to consider how this OC would behave in these stories.**


End file.
